'Fake News' Stand Pops Up In Bryant Park

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The New York City newsstand may be a bit outdated, but it's still a treasure trove of valuable information. Most importantly, the stories city dwellers find in the pages of magazines and papers in the stands have been thoroughly vetted and fact checked.

One "fake news" stand rose near Bryant Park on Tuesday as a physical representation of relying on just social media and dubious internet publications to stay informed. The stand — created by the Columbia Journalism Review — hawked phony magazines and papers with headlines such as: "Texas now recognized as Mexican state" and "Toddler fight club."

While these stories may seem like obvious fakes to savvy New Yorkers, they fooled real people on the internet in recent years, Columbia Journalism Review Publisher Kyle Pope wrote in a blog post.

"We embarked on this initiative to help people spot disinformation," Pope said in a statement. "For the first time, we’re taking false stories from the digital space into the physical space and placing it directly in the hands of real people. It makes these stories tangible in a way that forces you to think about the source of the information."

The Columbia Journalism Review created a handy guide to spotting disinformation to pair with its fake newsstand. The stand was taken down after Tuesday, but the media critics are hosting their guide online. CJR's fake newsstand project was inspired by the campaign "Real Journalism Matters," which was created by the advertising firm TBWA\Chiat\Day New York and debuted earlier this year.

"Eighty percent of Americans believe that false news is hurting the country, but only 30% can identify disinformation," Chris Beresford-Hill, chief creative officer of TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, said in a statement. "Seeing these outrageous stories elevated to the front pages of what appear to be reputable publications should be jarring."

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images News/Getty Images